Method and apparatus for delivering pressurized fluids from storage to a point of use

ABSTRACT

Liquid products such as automotive fuel system cleaners, differential gear case oil, and brake line antifreeze can be delivered to hard-to-reach inlets on the automobile or reservoir by storing the liquid in a pressurized cannister of small enough size to permit it to be hand-held and by then inserting the remote end of a flexible hose leading from the actuator head of the cannister into the inlet itself. When the actuator head is thereupon depressed, the propellant forces the liquid out of the cannister and into the inlet via the hose while the cannister remains essentially upright and held at a convenient distance from the inlet being serviced. In a particularly preferred form of the invention, a total release lever may be flipped up at the time of discharge to depress the actuator head and to maintain it in its fully depressed condition until the contents have been completely released from the cannister. The release lever is arranged in a toggle-like setting so as to be self-retaining in the fully actuated position once flipped up, thereby providing hands-free continued depression of the actuator head.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a way of delivering selected quantities of liquid products such as, for example, automotive fuel treatment, gear oil for an automotive differential, or automotive brake line antifreeze, to difficult-to-reach inlet openings of receiving chambers for the products. In addition, the invention relates to improvements in a total release mechanism associated with the actuating head of a pressurized cannister for such products for releaseably locking the actuating head in a fully depressed condition to release its contents without requiring the user to maintain the actuator head manually depressed.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

[0002] Many types of liquids used in connection with various operating units of an automobile are stored in bulk form, and automotive service centers are typically provided with suitable pump equipment that allows technicians to replenish the appropriate liquid levels using such equipment. However, smaller shops and individual consumers do not have access to such industrial-grade equipment and must, therefore, rely upon smaller cans or bottles of the liquid that can then be emptied into the chamber or reservoir that needs filling. This can present a significant challenge, however, because many such inlets are difficult to reach and are obstructed by various structures and apparatus that make it virtually impossible to turn the can or bottle upside down and pour out its contents into the reservoir. In such circumstances, it is easy for the user to accidently spill some of the liquid onto environmental structures or his own body, which can have serious consequences depending upon the nature of the product. Moreover, with known canned products the user is typically faced with the hassle of unscrewing stubborn caps and puncturing or removing tough seals before the product can be dispensed. While in some instances the containers are designed to be squeezed to discharge the product without inverting the container, this still presents many opportunities for unsightly and unhealthy messes.

[0003] The present invention in large measure eliminates the foregoing problems in the prior art by providing a convenient, easy-to-use delivery system for automotive liquid products and the like. Instead of packaging measured quantities of such liquids in containers that are emptied by upending the containers and pouring out the contents, the present invention contemplates storing a measured quantity of such liquid in a pressurized cannister having a length of flexible hose connected to the depressible actuating head of the cannister. In order to reach the obstructed or difficult-to-reach receiving inlet for the liquid, the hose is flexed, turned, and manipulated to whatever extent may be necessary to enable the user to insert the remote end of the hose into the inlet. Holding the cannister at a convenient location and at a distance from the inlet, the user then merely depresses the actuator head without upending the cannister and relies upon the pressurized propellant within the cannister to deliver the contents through the hose and into the reservoir.

[0004] In one particularly preferred form of the invention, the cannister is provided with a convenient total release mechanism in the form of a toggle lever that permits the actuator head to be releasably locked down in its fully depressed position without manual retention. The toggle lever is so designed that as the user flips up the lever, its remote end engages the actuator head and cams it down into its fully depressed position, holding it in that condition for a total and complete exhaustion of the contents of the cannister.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005]FIG. 1 is a top, front isometric view of one embodiment of a delivery system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and useful in carrying out the invention method, the phantom lines in FIG. 1 denoting the outline of a cover cap associated with the cannister of the system;

[0006]FIG. 2 is a top front isometric view similar to FIG. 1 of the delivery system but showing the cover cap removed and the hose unwound from its storage position of FIG. 1;

[0007]FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view through the cannister and distribution assembly attached thereto revealing details of construction;

[0008]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the remote end of the delivery hose showing a fitting or nozzle attached thereto suitable for screwing onto an inlet that has an externally threaded, mating fitting;

[0009]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the remote end of the hose showing the use of a second type of nozzle fitting of the type that might be forced into a tubular, resilient receiving inlet;

[0010]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the remote end of the delivery hose illustrating another type of nozzle fitting wherein the fitting might be utilized to plug up the inlet while at the same time allowing the discharge of liquid products into the associated reservoir;

[0011]FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the delivery system in which the distribution assembly for the cannister is provided with total release mechanism to provide a hands-free retention or locking of the actuator head in its depressed position;

[0012]FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view thereof, the release lever being illustrated in its standby position; and

[0013]FIG. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the assembly similar to FIG. 8 but showing the release lever flipped up into its actuated position in which it retains the actuator head fully depressed in a hands-free manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The present invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms. While the drawings illustrate and the specification describes certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that such disclosure is by way of example only. There is no intent to limit the principles of the present invention to the particular disclosed embodiments.

[0015] Referring initially to FIGS. 1-6, the delivery system 10 therein illustrated comprises a pressurized cannister 12 containing a liquid product to be delivered, and a distribution assembly 14 fitted onto the upper end of cannister 12. In one preferred form, distribution assembly 14 may take the form of the hose and valve assembly disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,739 and, accordingly, said '739 patent is hereby incorporated by reference into the present specification.

[0016] Distribution assembly 14 includes a base 16 constructed of synthetic resinous material and having an outwardly and downwardly flaring skirt 18 provided with a lowermost, annular lip 20 that snaps over a mating bead 22 on cannister 12. Base 16 further includes an upstanding, hollow boss 24 at the upper end of skirt 18 that essentially surrounds and is symmetrical with respect to an upstanding, depressible discharge tube 26 associated with cannister 12. As well known by those skilled in the art, axial depression of tube 26 results in release of pressurized contents within cannister 12.

[0017] Boss 24 is provided with an upright guide channel 28 that is open at its top and bottom and receives the upstanding discharge tube 26. Within guide channel 28, an actuator head 30 constructed from synthetic resinous material is confined for vertical shifting movement between alternate raised and lowered positions as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Head 30 has an internal chamber 32 sized and located to fit over and snugly receive discharge tube 26 such that head 30 is operably secured to discharge tube 26 for actuating the latter. Discharge tube 26 is spring-loaded in a known manner to yieldably extend tube 26 from cannister 12 to thereby yieldably bias actuator head 30 to its fully raised position. Chamber 32 communicates with the interior of discharge tube 26 for receiving contents therefrom when head 30 is depressed, and an internal passage 34 leading through a generally horizontally disposed spout 36 directs the contents toward a point of delivery.

[0018] A length of flexible hose 38 is fitted onto the spout 36 and is snugly retained in place by a circumscribing collar 40 around spout 36. A section of coil spring 42 may be housed within hose 38 adjacent its point of attachment to spout 36 to prevent crimping of hose 38 when the same is tightly wrapped around base 16 during storage beneath a cover cap 44 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0019] The remote, discharge end of hose 38 may be configured in a variety of ways for facilitating delivery of liquid contents of cannister 12 to a selected reservoir. In one embodiment, the remote end of hose 38 may be devoid of any fitting or nozzle at all. In another embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 1,2, and 4, hose 38 maybe provided with a fitting 46 having a rotatable, internally threaded collar 48 adapted to be threadably secured to an externally threaded fitting or nipple (not shown). Such externally threaded nipple has an inlet defined therein leading to the particular reservoir into which liquid is to be delivered. In another embodiment, a fitting 50 for the remote end of hose 38 has a tip 52 adapted to be forced into and received by an inlet defined by a tubular flexible member such as another hose or the like. In FIG. 6, the hose 38 is provided with a fitting 54 having a truncated cone-like plug 56 designed to be received within an enlarged inlet which becomes sealed off by the tapered plug 56 when fitting 54 is inserted into such inlet. A tubular tip 58 of fitting 54 allows liquid to flow from tube 38 into the inlet of the selected reservoir.

[0020] Whereas the delivery system 10 of FIGS. 1-6 utilizes an actuator head 30 that must be held down manually throughout the delivery process, the delivery system 200 of FIGS. 7-9 provides for hands-free retention of the actuator head in its depressed position until the contents of the cannister are depleted or the user otherwise wishes to terminate delivery. The distribution assembly 202 of system 200 includes a base 204 constructed of synthetic resinous material and having a skirt 206 configured similarly to the skirt 18 of distribution assembly 14. Skirt 206 has a lower annular lip 208 that snaps down around an annular bead 210 on a cannister 212 to secure distribution assembly 202 to cannister 212.

[0021] Base 204 further includes an upstanding, hollow boss 214 at the upper end of skirt 206 that overlies and encompasses the upright discharge tube 216 of cannister 212. As well known, discharge tube 216 is spring-biased to an extended position as shown in FIG. 8, but when depressed as shown in FIG. 9 is operable to open known internal valving to allow the escape of the contents from cannister 212. Boss 214 is formed to present an upright guide channel 218 that is open at its top and bottom and receives the upstanding discharge tube 216. An actuator head 220 constructed of synthetic resinous material is confined within channel 218 for vertical reciprocation between a raised position in FIG. 8 and a lowered or depressed position in FIG. 9. An internal chamber 222 in the bottom of actuator head 220 snugly receives the upper end of discharge tube 216 so as to operably connect actuator head 220 to tube 216. Consequently, discharge tube 216 yiedably biases head 220 toward its raised position, but when head 220 is depressed, the effect is to correspondingly depress tube 216 and open the internal valving of cannister 212 to release its contents.

[0022] Actuator head 220 has an internal passage 224 that communicates chamber 222 and discharge tube 216 with a horizontally extending spout 226 to which a length of flexible hose 228 is attached. An integral collar 230 of actuator head 220 circumscribes nozzle 226 in radially space relation thereto to assist in securing hose 228 to spout 226. A generally U-shaped clearance slot 232 in the front side of boss 214 provides operating clearance for collar 230 and spout 226 during operation of head 220.

[0023] A coil spring 234 within hose 228 and secured to the outermost end of spout 226 helps prevent kinking of hose 228 when it is coiled around base 204 and stored beneath a cover cap (not shown) in the manner illustrated with respect to distribution assembly 14 in FIG. 1. The distal or remote end of hose 228 (not shown) may be devoid of any fitting or nozzle, or hose 228 may be provided with fittings such as, but not limited to, those illustrated in FIGS. 4-6.

[0024] Distribution assembly 202 further includes a total release device in the nature of a toggle lever 236 that is operably associated with actuator head 220. Toggle lever 236 is generally T-shaped when viewed in top plan and has a pair of pintles 238 (FIGS. 8 and 9—only one pintle being shown) that project outwardly in opposite directions from the body of lever 236 for reception within suitable holes or openings within the side margins of channel 218 for establishing a fulcrum connection between lever 236 and boss 214. Lever 236 is thus pivotal about the fulcrum connection defined by pintles 238 between a horizontal, standby position as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, and an upstanding, actuated position as illustrated in FIG. 9. Preferably, lever 236 is constructed from a suitable synthetic resinous material.

[0025] The fulcrum connection established by pintles 238 is located intermediate the opposite ends of lever 236 such that a pair of legs 240 and 242 are defined on opposite sides of the fulcrum connection. One leg 240 is substantially shorter than the other leg 242 and has an outer end 244 adapted to bear against the top surface of actuator head 220 when lever 236 is flipped from its standby position to its actuated position. The outer end 244 of leg 240 thus moves downwardly about the axis of pintles 238 as lever 236 is operated and progressively depresses actuator head 220 from its raised position of FIG. 8 to its depressed position of FIG. 9. It will be recognized that outer end 244 of leg 240 is initially spaced laterally from the fulcrum connection defined by pintles 238 but comes progressively into position directly beneath and in line with pintles 238 when actuator head 220 is fully depressed as shown in FIG. 9, the point of contact between end 244 and the top surface of actuator head 220 correspondingly moving inwardly and under pintles 238. Thus, when leg 240 has fully depressed actuator head 220 as shown in FIG. 9, the point of contact between end 244 and actuator head 220 is directly beneath and in vertical alignment with pintles 238 such that toggle lever 236 is effectively locked in its actuated, upstanding position. The spring-loading of discharge tube 216 pushes upwardly against actuator head 220 and leg 240 of toggle lever 236 at this time to effectively retain lever 236 in this upright condition. An adjacent abutment surface 246 in channel 218 is disposed in the path of travel of leg 240 so as to prevent lever 236 from going over center.

[0026] The other leg 242 of toggle lever 236 is used for gaining a mechanical advantage on the shorter leg 240 and is designed to be easily gripped by the user and operated. To this end, leg 242 is generally J-shaped, projecting outwardly from the fulcrum connection area defined by pintles 238 and curving downwardly adjacent its outermost end at a distance radially outward from boss 214 when lever 236 is in its standby position of FIG. 8. A horizontally extending clearance recess or notch 248 in the top surface of boss 214 functions as a receiving socket for leg 242 when lever 236 is in its standby position so as to maintain leg 242 flush with or slightly below the top surface of boss 214 as illustrated.

Operation

[0027] Use of the invention should be apparent from the foregoing description. Therefore, such use will only be briefly described hereinafter.

[0028] The broadest aspects of the invention are common to both major embodiments of the invention, i.e., the delivery system 10 and the delivery system 200. In either system, the liquid to be delivered to the hard-to-reach reservoir inlet is first packaged in a suitable cannister with a suitable propellant such that a known, measured quantity of the liquid is contained within the cannister. The cannister is then brought into generally close proximity to the reservoir and the flexible hose is twisted, turned and manipulated to whatever extent may be necessary to permit the user to insert the remote end of the hose into, or to connect the fitting of the hose with, the inlet of the reservoir. Thereupon, the user merely depresses the actuator on the cannister and allows the propellant within the cannister to deliver the product into the reservoir, all without turning the cannister upside down and attempting to pour out its contents. The actuator may be depressed for a relatively short duration or until such time as the contents of the cannister are fully discharged, depending upon the circumstances at hand.

[0029] In the case of an automotive fuel system cleaner or the like, it is contemplated that the end of the hose will be devoid of any fitting or nozzle. While holding the cannister in one hand, the user merely inserts the free end of the hose down into the neck of the gasoline tank and then depresses the actuator head to cause the propellant to deliver the cleaner into the filler neck. Preferably, the delivery system 200 having the total release feature is utilized for this particular type of product so that the user can quickly and easily deliver the entire measured quantity of cleaner into the gas tank.

[0030] If a delivery system such as the delivery system 200 is utilized, it will be appreciated that, rather than the user depressing actuator head 220 with his thumb or finger, he merely grips the down turned leg 242 of lever 236 and flips it upwardly into its actuated position of FIG. 9. During this quick flipping action, the outer end 244 of the leg 240 of lever 236 bears down against the top of actuator head 220 and cams the head down into the depressed position of FIG. 9. Once in the depressed position, the actuator head 220 exerts an upward return force against lever 236, but such force is directly underneath and in line with the pintles 238 that define the fulcrum connection of lever 236 with boss 214. Consequently, such upward return force merely has the effect of retaining lever 236 trapped in its upstanding, actuated position, which in turn maintains actuator head 220 fully depressed. Consequently, the contents of cannister 212, in this case the fuel system cleaner, become fully discharged, and the user knows that a certain measured quantity of the cleaner has been added to the fuel tank.

[0031] Of course, if for any reason the user wishes to stop discharge of the product prematurely, he merely grips the outer end of lever 236 and snaps it back down to its standby position of FIG. 8, which releases actuator head 220 and allows it to return to its raised position, terminating product discharge.

[0032] It will be appreciated that the principles of the present invention are applicable to many different types of liquid products. Although the present invention has been described using automotive-related liquid products such as fuel cleaner, differential gear case oil and brake line antifreeze, such usage is for purposes of example only and should not be considered in a limiting sense with respect to the scope of the invention. Many other types of non-automotive liquid products can be dispensed and delivered to hard-to-reach places using the principles of the present invention.

[0033] The inventor(s) hereby state(s) his/their intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of his/their invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set out in the following claims. 

1. A method of delivering a liquid product into a difficult-to-reach inlet of a reservoir, said method comprising the steps of: storing a quantity of the product in a pressurized cannister having a depressible discharge tube at the top of the cannister that allows product to be discharged from the cannister through said tube when the tube is depressed; providing an actuator head on said tube and attaching a length of flexible hose to the actuator head in flow communication with the discharge tube; bending the hose to the extent necessary to allow a remote end of the hose to reach the inlet of the chamber; inserting the remote end of the hose into said inlet; and while maintaining the cannister at a distance from the inlet and without inverting the cannister, depressing the actuator head while the remote end of the hose is disposed within the inlet to thereby deliver product from the cannister into the chamber under pressure.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, and the additional step of releasably locking the actuator head in a depressed position while the product is being delivered.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, said locking step including the step of depressing the actuator head with a manually operated release device that is retained hands-free in a locked position.
 4. A method as claimed in claim 1, said liquid product comprising automotive fuel treatment.
 5. A method as claimed in claim 1, said liquid product comprising gear oil for an automotive differential.
 6. A method as claimed in claim 1, said liquid product comprising automotive brake line antifreeze.
 7. A distribution assembly for a pressurized cannister having an upright discharge tube through which liquid contents of the cannister are discharged when the tube is axially depressed, said assembly comprising: a base including a circumferential skirt for attaching the base to the cannister in covering relation to the discharge tube, said base further including an upright, hollow boss projecting centrally upwardly from said skirt, said boss having an upright guide channel open at the top and bottom and disposed to receive said discharge tube when the base is on the cannister; an actuator head confined within said channel for vertical shifting movement between raised and depressed positions, said actuator head being adapted for operable connection with said discharge tube for directing contents of the cannister toward a point of discharge when the actuator head is in said depressed position; and a manually operated release device on said boss engageable with said actuator head for shifting the actuator head from its raised position to its depressed position upon manual shifting of the release device from a standby position to an actuated position, said release device, said boss and said actuator head being configured and arranged to retain the release device hands-free in said actuated position for discharging the contents of the cannister following manual shifting of the release device into the actuated position.
 8. A distribution assembly as claimed in claim 7, said release device comprising a toggle lever having a fulcrum connection with said boss intermediate opposite ends of the lever to present a pair of legs of the lever projecting in opposite directions from the fulcrum connection, one of said legs being disposed to bear against and depress the actuator head as the other leg of the lever is manually operated, the point of contact between said one leg and the actuator head being laterally offset from the fulcrum connection when the lever is in its standby position and being directly below and in line with the fulcrum connection when the lever is in its actuated position.
 9. A distribution assembly as claimed in claim 8, said channel including an abutment surface disposed in the path of travel of said one leg of the lever in position to prevent the lever from passing over center.
 10. A distribution assembly as claimed in claim 8, said lever lying generally horizontally when in its standby position and standing generally upright when in its actuated position, said boss presenting a notch disposed to receive the lever when the lever is in its standby position.
 11. A distribution assembly as claimed in claim 10, said other leg of the lever including an arcuately downturned finger-grippable portion remote from said fulcrum connection.
 12. A distribution assembly as claimed in claim 8, said one leg being substantially shorter than the other leg.
 13. A distribution assembly as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a flexible hose coupled in flow communication with said actuator head for directing contents of the cannister to selected locations remote from the actuator head. 